AGER and pulmonary emphysema: It was also found that sRAGE was a protective factor for the presence and severity of emphysema among CC-genotyped COPD patients of rs2070600 on the RAGE gene [29] and that lower sRAGE is associated with more severe airflow obstruction, heterogeneous distribution of emphysema, centrilobular emphysema, and 5-year progression of emphysema [30].